RedHawks leave heartbreak behind

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 21, 2026

Avianna Woodley and Angel Avila won Mountain Empire’s 2026 Homecoming Proposal Contest with their FireTruck Proposal.

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 50, SAN YSIDRO 6

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

PINE VALLEY — Mountain Empire spent the previous Friday discovering how little a productive offense can matter when the final possession goes the other way.

This time, the RedHawks gave themselves considerably more room.

Elisha Robinson rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns, four Mountain Empire players scored on the ground, and the RedHawks held San Ysidro scoreless throughout the second half of a 50-6 Homecoming victory Friday night.

A week after surrendering a fourth-quarter lead in a 42-41 loss to Crawford, Mountain Empire established a 22-point advantage before the end of the opening period and kept adding to it. The RedHawks improved to 3-2, reversing last season’s 27-19 loss to the Cougars with a performance that required no late escape.

Robinson carried 22 times, averaging nearly 8.5 yards per attempt, as the junior continued a remarkable three-game stretch. He has rushed for 780 yards and 12 touchdowns against O’Farrell Charter, Crawford and San Ysidro.

His latest effort came with contributions throughout the offense.

Senior quarterback Chance Ross rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown, ran for two two-point conversions and passed for 75 yards and another score. His eight-yard touchdown pass to Nic Santos gave the RedHawks a scoring option beyond the running game that produced six of their seven touchdowns.

Amar Mahasin caught three passes for 67 yards and added 14 rushing yards and a touchdown. Angel Avila contributed 19 rushing yards and a score, giving Mountain Empire four different rushing touchdown scorers.

For coach Cameron Keller’s team, that distribution complemented another commanding night from Robinson. San Ysidro had to account for Ross as a runner, Mahasin as both a runner and receiver, and Avila’s contribution alongside the RedHawks’ leading back.

Mountain Empire led 22-0 after one quarter. San Ysidro answered with a second-quarter touchdown pass, but a missed extra point left the Cougars trailing 22-6.

The RedHawks responded with another rushing touchdown and a successful two-point run, restoring their cushion to 30-6 at halftime.

There would be no repeat of the previous week’s finish.

Ross connected with Santos for Mountain Empire’s third-quarter passing touchdown, and the RedHawks extended their lead to 42-6 entering the fourth. Eight more points completed the scoring while the defense kept San Ysidro out of the end zone for the remainder of the night.

That defensive finish was a substantial part of the rebound.

Crawford had generated 501 yards and scored 42 points in Pine Valley a week earlier. San Ysidro presented a different challenge, but Mountain Empire still needed to turn its early offensive success into a complete performance. Allowing only one touchdown, followed by a second-half shutout, accomplished that.

The Cougars fell to 1-4.

Mountain Empire, meanwhile, reached 50 points for the third time this season, joining its 56-point performance against Hamilton and 50-point outing against O’Farrell Charter. The RedHawks have scored 197 points over their last four games.

Against Crawford, the production had been accompanied by disappointment. Against San Ysidro, Mountain Empire made sure the scoreboard reflected the work.

ROBINSON’S RUN: 780 YARDS, 12 TOUCHDOWNS

Robinson’s 186-yard performance was his lowest rushing total in three weeks. That says considerably more about the preceding two games than it does about Friday’s effort.

He rushed for 300 yards and four touchdowns against O’Farrell Charter, followed with 294 yards and five scores against Crawford, then added three more touchdowns against San Ysidro.

The combined production works out to 260 rushing yards and four touchdowns per game during that stretch.

Friday also brought a lighter workload than the Crawford game. Robinson went from 34 carries against the Colts to 22 against San Ysidro, a reduction of 12 attempts, while remaining the central figure in an offense that scored seven touchdowns.

With Ross, Mahasin and Avila also reaching the end zone on the ground, the RedHawks showed they could spread the scoring without losing the production that makes Robinson so difficult to contain.

MAHASIN GIVES RUNNING GAME AIR

Mountain Empire’s passing game did not need a large number of completions to make a difference.

Mahasin’s three catches for 67 yards accounted for most of Ross’s 75 passing yards, while Santos supplied the touchdown on his eight-yard reception.

Mahasin averaged 22.3 yards per catch and finished with 81 yards from scrimmage, combining his receiving work with 14 rushing yards and a touchdown.

That versatility matters for an offense built around Robinson and Ross. Defenses committing heavily to the run still have to account for Mahasin downfield, and Santos made his reception count in the end zone.

HOMECOMING TO REMEMBER FOR AVILA

Angel Avila had more than a touchdown to celebrate during Mountain Empire’s homecoming festivities.

Avila and Avianna Woodley won Mountain Empire’s 2026 Homecoming Proposal Contest, with the RedHawk student body selecting their FireTruck Proposal. The pair received two tickets to Saturday’s homecoming dance.

Avila also contributed 19 rushing yards and a touchdown in the RedHawks’ 50-6 homecoming victory over San Ysidro, giving him another reason to celebrate.

UP NEXT: ROAD TRIP OFFERS CHANCE AT MOMENTUM

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE (3-2) at VICTORY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (0-4)
Friday, Sept. 25, 4 p.m., Chula Vista

Victory Christian Academy has been outscored 179-8 through four games and is coming off a 63-0 loss to Clairemont. The Knights are averaging two points per game while allowing nearly 45.

Mountain Empire is averaging 40.2 points, with three 50-point performances already on the board.

That is a difficult combination for a winless team preparing to face Robinson and an offense that just produced touchdowns from five different players.

The Knights’ offensive personnel include quarterback JD Lair, rushing threat Kyle Capili and receiving option Theodore Cordova. VCA is averaging approximately 118 total yards per game, leaving little margin for empty possessions against the RedHawks.

For Mountain Empire, the assignment is to carry Friday’s defensive concentration onto the road while continuing to establish the run. A clean start would force an offense that has struggled to score into the difficult task of playing from behind.

The RedHawks also have an opportunity to build on the contributions around Robinson. Ross’s running ability and Mahasin’s receiving production give Keller options if Victory Christian loads its defense toward the junior back.

The matchup strongly favors Mountain Empire on both sides of the ball. The road setting is a new element; the expectation is another decisive RedHawks victory and a chance to move two games above .500.